On a basic level, this suggests that Frankenstein had incestuous desires for his mother. The relationship between Frankenstein and his mother was obviously a strong one, and Frankenstein was deeply affected after her death. He satisfies his obsession to be reunited with his mother by becoming a mother himself by making the monster, forcing him to reject a relationship with Elizabeth. .
The importance of the mother within the family is also furthered by the introduction of the De Lacey family to the story. While he is living in close proximity with the De Laceys, the Creature develops a similar view of a family to that of Frankenstein's family. The Creature develops the view that the mother was the nurturing figure, while the father was the dominating influence. But when the mother is removed from the family, as is the case in the De Lacey family, Shelley's criticism of the society through the story's representation of the role of the mother becomes more apparent. The father remains the dominating figure of the family, but there is no mother to compensate for this. The patriarchal social structure then reduces the child to an object. The idea of a male-dominated social structure is further criticised by Shelley by describing the struggle between Frankenstein and the Creature, which graphically illustrates the consequences of the creation of the Creature.
Another figure in the novel that represents some characteristics of a mother is Frankenstein himself, although these are outweighed by the patriarchal values he display. Like God, Frankenstein is a type of 'male-mother'. While God creates figures of beauty, Frankenstein's creation is a monstrosity that is shunned by society. The Creature himself questions Frankenstein's rejection of him: "Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust". Frankenstein abandons his Creature the first time he sees what he has created.
